Published 8:11 pm, Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The test is designed to replicate what happens when a car strikes another car or a fixed object such as a tree or utility pole. The test strikes 25 percent of a car's front end into a 5-foot rigid barrier at 40 mph.

The results don't bode well for nonluxury models, which will be the next to undergo the test. Insurance Institute crash test results are closely watched by the auto industry and often lead to changes in design or safety features. Good scores are also frequently touted in car ads.

The institute said the test indicates that side air bags — which are designed for direct impact T-bone crashes but not for off-center, frontal ones — might not go off in time or extend far enough to protect occupants. In three cars, the BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, the seat belts spooled out too much after the crash, causing the crash-test dummies to strike hard surfaces. The Volkswagen's door was sheared off.

Mercedes said it didn't agree with its ranking and pointed out that the C-Class is listed as one of the institute's top safety picks. Mercedes said the crash test mimics an unusually severe and uncommon scenario.

“As a leader in automotive safety, we have full confidence in the protection that the C-Class affords its occupants — and less confidence in any test that doesn't reflect that,” Mercedes said in a statement.

“With this new test, the institute has raised the bar again, and we will respond to this challenge as we design new vehicles,” Toyota said.

But Toyota also noted that it has more top safety picks, 17, than any other automaker.

The institute said it plans to change its criteria for the top safety picks next year to incorporate the new test. The group said it developed the test after years of analyzing real-world frontal crashes, which kill more than 10,000 people annually in the United States.